Insulating cover for ground faucets

ABSTRACT

A faucet cover includes a casing, open at the base thereof, insulating material lining the interior surface of the casing and defining a cavity into which a faucet may be received when the cover is placed over the faucet, and a weight embedded in the insulating material near the base of the cover for stabilizing the cover when it is placed on the ground. A handle is located on the top outer surface of the casing.

United States Patent [1 1 Stout Jan. 7, 1975 INSULATING COVER FOR GROUND FAUCETS Inventor: Bob Stout, Dallas, Tex.

Assignee: Joseph S. Rhodes, Mesquite, Tex. Filed: Dec. 10, 1973 Appl. N0.: 423,071

US. Cl. 150/52 R, 137/375 Int. Cl. Fl6l 59/00 Field of Search ISO/2.2, 52 R; 137/293,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1954 Dire 137/375 5/1961 Watanabe 150/22 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 807,400 l/1959 Great Britain 150/52 R Primary Examiner-Donald F. Norton Attorney, Agent, or FirmClegg, Cantrell & Crisman [57] ABSTRACT A faucet cover includes a casing, open at the base thereof, insulating material lining the interior surface of the casing and defining a cavity into which a faucet may be received when the cover is placed over the faucet, and a weight embedded in the insulating material near the base of the cover for stabilizing the cover when it is placed on the ground. A handle is located on the top outer surface of the casing.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3.858.632

INSULATING COVER FOR GROUND FAUCETS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to insulating apparatus and more particularly to a removable cover for insulating ground faucets, hydrants and the like.

Protection of outdoor faucets and hydrants from freezing has typically required the wrapping of the faucet or hydrant with some type of insulation material and then securing the wrapping to the faucet or hydrant with tape or other adhesive means. With such wrapping, it is inconvenient to use the faucet since at least a portion of the insulation must generally be unwrapped to allow access to the faucet, and after such use, the faucet must be rewrapped. Additionally, frequent handling, unwrapping and rewrapping may cause the insulation material to become worn or torn thereby diminishing its ability to insulate from the cold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an insulating cover for ground faucets which may be quickly and easily placed over and removed from the faucets.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a cover which is inexpensive and yet sturdy in construction.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are realized in a specific illustrative embodiment of an insulating cover which includes an outer housing having an opening at the base thereof and insulating material lining the interior surface of the housing and having an opening through which a faucet may be received into the interior cavity defined by the interior surface of the insulating material. A weighting means is disposed in the insulating material near the base of the housing to stabilize the cover when it is placed on the ground over a faucet and to urge the cover against the ground to prevent cold air from flowing under the bottom of the cover to the interior cavity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A complete understanding of the present invention and of the above and other advantages thereof may be gained from a consideration of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an insulating cover made in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the cover of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cover of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION An illustrative faucet cover is designated in the drawings by the numeral 2. The cover includes a cylindrically shaped outer casing or housing 4 with an opening at the base thereof. The casing 4 could illustratively be constructed of fiberglass, plastic, or other rigid material. Although the casing 4 is shown as being cylindrical in shape, other shapes could also be utilized provided only that the dimensions of the casing were such that the functions to be performed by the casing (to be described) could be realized.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the interior surface of the casing 4 is lined with a resilient or flexible insulating material 6 secured to the casing 4 by rubber cement or other adhesive. The insulating material may be any resilient material suitable for inhibiting the conduction of heat (and cold) such as urethane, foam rubber, resilient Styrofoam, etc. The interior surface of the insulating material 6 defines an interior hollow or cavity 8 of sufficient dimensions to allow a ground faucet 10 to be received therein when the cover 2 is placed over the faucet. An opening or slot 12 is located in the insulating material 6 to allow the faucet 10 to be inserted therethrough. Because the insulating material 6 is resilient, it may be temporarily stretched or deformed to enlarge the slot 12 and allow it to be slipped over the faucet 10. After placement of the cover over the faucet, the insulating material 6 resumes its normal shape to provide a fairly snug fit of the material about the base portion of the faucet 10 to inhibit entry of cold air into the interior cavity 8. The slot 12 should be of suitable size to allow the faucet to be received therethrough without tearing or permanently deforming the insulating mate rial 6. Of course, if the width and length of the slot coincided with the transverse (horizontal) dimensions of the interior cavity 8 (i.e., if the cavity 8 simply opened directly to the outside), then the insulating material 6 would need not have to be resilient, since deformation of the material would not be required to allow the faucet to slip through the slot 12.

In order to stabilize the cover 2 when it is placed on the ground over a faucet, a heavy, preferably metal, ring 14 is disposed in the insulating material 6 near the base of the cover. The ring 14 is generally concentric with the interior casing 4 so as to circumscribe the interior cavity 8 in a generally transverse plane. The ring 14 might illustratively be composed of lead or other heavy material. The inclusion of the ring 14 stabilizes the cover 2 and tends to hold the cover snugly to the ground to prevent outside air from flowing under the cover into the interior cavity 8. The ring 14 or other weighting device might alternatively be secured to the exterior or interior surface of the casing 4, but the illustrated embodiment appears to be the most desirable for aesthetic as well as fabrication reasons.

A handle or hand grip 16 is included on the top exterior surface of the casing 4 to facilitate ease of placement and removal of the cover. The handle 16 could be formed of any suitably rigid material and affixed to the top surface of the casing 4 by an adhesive or it could be formed integrally with the casing 4.

The described insulating cover provides a simple and yet effective structure for preventing the freezing of ground faucets or hydrants. If use of the faucet is intermittently desired during freezing weather, the cover 2 can be easily removed for each use and then easily replaced upon completion of the use. Because of the weighting device located at the base of the cover 2, the cover cannot be easily tipped over and is held snugly against the ground.

It is to be understood that the above-described embodiment is only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modification may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications.

What is claimed is:

l. A cover for insulating ground faucets and the like comprising a casing open at its base,

insulating material lining the interior of said casing,

the interior surface of said material defining a cavity for receiving a faucet thereinto,

weighting means disposed in said insulating material near the base of the casing to stabilize the cover when it is placed on the ground over a faucet.

2. A cover as in claim 1 wherein said weighting means comprises a heavy metallic bar embedded in said insulating material so as to circumscribe the cavity in a generally transverse plane.

3. A cover as in claim 1 wherein said insulating material is resilient to allow temporary deformation thereof, said material including an integral portion covering the opening in said cover and having a slot therein whose width is less than the transverse dimensions of said cavity.

4. A cover as in claim 1 further comprising a handle positioned on the outer top surface of said casing.

5. A cover for insulating faucets which extend upwardly from the ground comprising a housing open at its base and composed of a substantially rigid material,

a layer of resilient insulation affixed to the interior surface of said housing and including a portion covering the opening in said housing, said portion having a slot therein through which a faucet may be inserted into the hollow defined by the interior surface of the insulation, the width of said slot being less than the transverse dimensions of the hollow, and

weighting means embedded in said insulation material near the base of the housing to stabilize said cover when placed on the ground cover over a faucet.

6. The cover as defined in claim 5 further including a hand grip positioned on the top outer surface of said housing. 

1. A cover for insulating ground faucets and the like comprising a casing open at its base, insulating material lining the interior of said casing, the interior surface of said material defining a cavity for receiving a faucet thereinto, weighting means disposed in said insulating material near the base of the casing to stabilize the cover when it is placed on the ground over a faucet.
 2. A cover as in claim 1 wherein said weighting means comprises a heavy metallic bar embedded in said insulating material so as to circumscribe the cavity in a generally transverse plane.
 3. A cover as in claim 1 wherein said Insulating material is resilient to allow temporary deformation thereof, said material including an integral portion covering the opening in said cover and having a slot therein whose width is less than the transverse dimensions of said cavity.
 4. A cover as in claim 1 further comprising a handle positioned on the outer top surface of said casing.
 5. A cover for insulating faucets which extend upwardly from the ground comprising a housing open at its base and composed of a substantially rigid material, a layer of resilient insulation affixed to the interior surface of said housing and including a portion covering the opening in said housing, said portion having a slot therein through which a faucet may be inserted into the hollow defined by the interior surface of the insulation, the width of said slot being less than the transverse dimensions of the hollow, and weighting means embedded in said insulation material near the base of the housing to stabilize said cover when placed on the ground cover over a faucet.
 6. The cover as defined in claim 5 further including a hand grip positioned on the top outer surface of said housing. 